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The Emirates NBA Cup has reached its knockout round, and the New York Knicks (16-7) are one win away from a trip to Las Vegas for the semifinals.
Standing in the Knicks’ way are the Toronto Raptors (15-10), who went undefeated in Group Play, earning the outright No. 2 seed in the NBA Cup East standings.
In a battle between two top-four seeds in the East, Tuesday night is bound to bring plenty of fireworks and intensity.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks enter this game as 5-point favorites on the road, per BetMGM Sportsbook.
Knicks vs. Raptors best bet, prediction
Luckily for Mike Brown, the Knicks have dominated this matchup of late, winning their last nine games against the Raptors. On Nov. 30, six Knicks finished in double figures, en route to a 116-94 victory.
In that game, Karl Anthony-Towns scored 22 points, and Josh Hart flirted with a triple-double, notching 20 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists.
Despite history being on the Knicks’ side, the Raptors’ forward duo of Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram has propelled them into a playoff-caliber team.
Scottie Barnes plays with a passion and has paired up nicely alongside Brandon Ingram for Toronto. AP
Both versatile players are averaging over 20 points per game, and with Jakob Poeltl manning the paint, the Raptors have surprisingly climbed into the 4-seed.
Unfortunately for Toronto, former Knicks Immanuel Quickley and R.J. Barrett are the latest to be added to the injury report. Barrett is out for sure with a knee sprain, and Quickley is in danger of missing this one due to illness.
On the Knicks’ side, backup guards Miles McBride and Landry Shamet will be unavailable.
However, with a healthy OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson in the mix, the Knicks’ defensive prowess will be on full display for this quarterfinal matchup. Towns also logged a full practice on Monday after missing Sunday’s game versus Orlando and could make his return.
The Knicks’ defense drastically improves when Robinson and Anunoby are on the floor together. Jason Szenes / New York Post
As for Mikal Bridges, Hart, and Brunson, this trio is accustomed to performing well in win-or-go-home situations. Just ask a guy by the name of Jay Wright.
Brunson is thriving in the Knicks’ new pace-and-space offensive sets; he has 11 games this season with 30-plus points. He is coming off 33 on Sunday against the Magic.
As for Bridges and Hart, their catch-and-shoot ability from beyond the arc has shown improvement as the season progressed. After an abysmall 10% start from three in October, Hart upped his three-point shooting to 42.9% in November and 40% in December.
Bridges knocked down a season-high eight threes on Dec. 2 against the Celtics.
Betting on the NBA?
The championship mentality must start here for the Orange and Blue; this in-season tournament is the closest we’ll get to a playoff atmosphere until April arrives.
Last night the line stood at -4.5, and on Tuesday afternoon it sits at -5.5. New York has covered 5 points in eight of the previous nine victories over the Raptors.
The Raptors are on a recent slump, losing three straight at Scotiabank Arena and five of their last six overall. I’m confident in the Knicks to cover 5.5 points in this spot.
With defensive anchors Anunoby and Robinson healthy, along with the Knicks’ offensive continuity, they will overpower a tough Raptors team.
The Play: Knicks -5.5 (-105, BetMGM)
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Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.
